The present invention relates to smoking articles such as cigarettes, and in particular to filter elements for cigarettes.
Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure and include a charge of smokable material such as shredded tobacco (e.g., cut filler) surrounded by a paper wrapper, thereby forming a so-called "tobacco rod". It has become desirable to manufacture a cigarette having a cylindrical filter element aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Certain filter materials and filter elements are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,390 to Mumpower, II. Typically, a filter element includes cellulose acetate tow circumscribed by plug wrap, and is attached to the tobacco rod using a circumscribing tipping material.
Cigarettes are employed by the smoker by lighting one end thereof and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker then receives mainstream smoke into his/her mouth by drawing on the opposite end (i.e., the filter end) of the cigarette. Drawn smoke passes through the filter element before reaching the mouth of the smoker.
Popular cigarettes classified as "full flavor" cigarettes deliver a desirable tobacco taste, flavor and satisfaction to the smoker. Typically, the "full flavor" cigarettes deliver about 14 mg or more of FTC "tar" per cigarette. A second classification of popular cigarettes is the "full flavor low tar" classification. Typically, the "full flavor low tar" cigarettes deliver from about 8 to about 14 mg of FTC "tar" per cigarette, as well as lower levels of FTC nicotine as compared to "full flavor" cigarettes. A third classification of popular cigarettes in the "ultra low tar" classification. Such "ultra low tar" cigarettes deliver still lower levels of FTC "tar" and nicotine. Typically, the "ultra low tar" cigarettes deliver less than about 7 mg of FTC "tar" per cigarette. The "full flavor low tar" and "ultra low tar" cigarettes conventionally have air dilution means such as laser perforations provided in the periphery of the mouthend region thereof, or have filter elements highly efficient for the removal of " tar" and nicotine from the mainstream aerosol.
It would be desirable to provide a cigarette which is capable of providing controlled yields of flavorful mainstream smoke. It would also be desirable to provide a cigarette filter element having a filter material which is coated or otherwise in intimate contact with a wide variety of materials.